The Assignment Evolves

Not all my time over the past week has gone to the relentless pursuit of justice, believe it or not. I still rise with the dawn call to prayer, and head straight to Vivaldi, my (midnight) oil burner, a shot of spiced coffee and the mountain of books surrounding my desk.

Now that my assignment outline has been approved, the not inconsiderable task of writing lies before me. Writing high quantities has never been a problem for me, but writing high-quality, information-rich, sharply defined academic prose is a slightly rusty skill that may need some oiling.

My solution to this is backward mapping, a management technique I was reminded of in my readings. By beginning with the deadline and working backwards, it is possible to plan with more foresight. At least, so the theory goes. Admittedly, my backward maps are probably more realistic than my forward maps. The fact that they feature a weekly day off is their crowning glory.

While the big ideas incubate, I am starting of with some Zen typing: the reference pages. When I was working on my first degree, everything still had to be done on a manual typewriter. Not only did I not have a computer, I often didn’t have electricity either. Getting the references lined up at the eleventh hour was always the very worst past of the nightmare. Now that I am older, wiser, and able to afford both a modest computer and electricity (the gods be praised), I am hoping to prevent any cause for nightmares by starting off with the reference pages, which can be adapted if necessary as the work evolves.

Of course, the strategy may evolve, too.